Sandy Ground Oral History Project

Preserving Staten Island's Past

Founded in 1828, Sandy Ground is the oldest continuously-inhabited free black settlement in the United States. Today, the area is home to four buildings that have been designated as historic landmarks, the oldest of which dates to 1859. The Sandy Ground Historical Society has been active since the 1970s, and continues to provide valuable educational programs to raise awareness about the heritage of the area.

During the summer of 2017, members of the Sandy Ground community were trained in how to conduct interviews through a collaboration of the Sandy Ground Historical Society, the New York Public Library, and the New York Preservation Archive Project.

After training, interviewers recorded stories from their neighbors, friends, family, and anyone with a strong connection to Sandy Ground.

All of the oral histories recorded will be available to the public at the Sandy Ground Historical Society, the New York Public Library's Milstein Division for US History, Local History, and Genealogy, as well as the New York Public Library website at oralhistory.nypl.org/sandy-ground

Additionally, interviews will be part of the New York Preservation Archive Project's oral history project. You can find out more information about the NYPAP project here.